System and method for bundling information

ABSTRACT

A system and method of pushing user-selected data items from a host system to a user&#39;s mobile data communication device upon detecting the occurrence of one or more user-defined event triggers is provided. The user may then move (or file) the data items to a particular folder within a folder hierarchy stored in the mobile data communication device, or may execute some other system operation on the data item. Software operating at the mobile device and the host system then synchronizes the folder hierarchy of the mobile device with a folder hierarchy of the host system, and any actions executed on the data items at the mobile device are then automatically replicated on the same data items stored at the host system, thus eliminating the need for the user to manually replicate actions at the host system that have been executed at the mobile data communication device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a Continuation application of and claims priorityfrom U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/970,591, filed on Oct. 14, 2004(now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,266,365). The entirety of this parentapplication is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed toward the field of replicating (orsynchronizing) information from a host system where the information isnormally stored to a mobile data communication device. Morespecifically, the system and method of the present invention provide anevent-driven redirection computer program (“redirector program”)operating at the host system, which, upon sensing a particularuser-defined event has occurred, redirects user-selected data items fromthe host system to the user's mobile data communication device. Uponreceiving this redirected information at their mobile device, the usercan then organize this data into hierarchies, commonly known as folders,and may also perform various other operations on the redirected data.These organizational and other operations are then synchronized back tothe original host system for replication. The invention also providesfor the synchronization of a storage representation model for storingthe data in a hierarchy of folders at the host system and the mobiledevice.

Instead of warehousing (or storing) the user's data items at the hostsystem and then “synchronizing” the mobile data communication device todata items stored at the host system when the mobile device requeststhat such items of information be communicated to it, the presentinvention employs a “push” paradigm that continuously packages andretransmits the user-selected items of information to the mobile datacommunication device in response to a triggering event detected at thehost system. Wireless mobile data communications devices, especiallythose that can return a confirmation signal to the host that the pusheddata has been received are especially well suited for this type of pushparadigm.

Once the information is pushed to the device, the user can then read theinformation and ‘file’ the information into its appropriate folder basedon the contents of the information. Alternatively, the user can performsome other operation on the information. These operations, as well asthe user's folder hierarchy for storing information at the mobiledevice, are then replicated back (synchronized) to the host system,which then automatically organizes the user's information into the samefolder hierarchies (or replicates the other operations performed at themobile device), thus saving the user from doing the action a second timeat the host system. The synchronization of the message operations can becarried in real-time as the operations are being executed at the mobiledevice, or in a batch process when the mobile device is electricallycoupled to the host system.

2. Description of the Related Art

Present systems and methods for replicating information from a hostsystem to a user's mobile data communication device are typically“synchronization” systems in which the user's data items are warehoused(or stored) at the host system for an indefinite period of time and thentransmitted in bulk only in response to a user request. In these typesof systems and methods, when replication of the warehoused data items tothe mobile device is desired, the user typically places the mobiledevice in an interface cradle that is electrically connected to the hostsystem via some form of local, dedicated communication, such as a serialcable or an infrared or other type of wireless link. Alternatively, theuser might have to perform a special ‘connection’ action every so oftenthat will synchronous all the pending items required by the user,provided they remember. Software executing on the mobile datacommunication device then transmits commands via the localcommunications link or a network link to the host system to cause thehost to begin transmitting the user's data items for storage in a memorybank of the mobile device. In these synchronization schemes, the mobileunit “pulls” the warehoused information from the host system in a batcheach time the user desires to replicate information between the twodevices. Therefore, the two systems (host and mobile) only maintain thesame data items after a user-initiated command sequence that causes themobile device to download the data items from the host system.

Another major problem with the current pull-based systems is that theuser must deal with the information all over again once the user returnsto his office and accesses the information store at the host system.This situation occurs because the average user can get hundreds ofpieces of electronic information a day. This is very common in e-mailsystems where internal company mail, and external Internet mail, mergeinto one common mailbox creating a multitude of sources all merged intoone location. As a result, once the user returns to their office, eventhough they may have seen and read the mail while traveling on theirmobile device, they still have to re-read the messages and then organizethe information into folders based upon the content. This results inuser frustration, as the mobile device has not solved the problem ofsaving them time when the user returns to his office and accesses theinformation store at the host system.

A general problem with these known synchronization systems is that theonly time that the user data items are replicated between the hostsystem and the mobile data communication device is when the usercommands the mobile device to download or pull the user data from thehost system. Five minutes later a new message could be sent to the user,but the user would not receive that message until the next time the userfetches the user data items. Thus, a user may fail to respond to anemergency update or message because the user only periodicallysynchronizes the system, such as once per day.

Other problems with these systems include: (1) the amount of data to bereconciled between the host and the mobile device can become large ifthe user does not “synchronize” on a daily or hourly basis, leading tobandwidth difficulties, particularly when the mobile device iscommunicating via a wireless packet-switched network; (2) reconcilinglarge amounts of data, as can accrue in these batch-mode synchronizationsystems, can require a great deal of communication between the host andthe mobile device, thus leading to a more complex, costly andenergy-inefficient system; and (3) the need to deal with the informationa second time once the user returns to the office and accesses theinformation store at the host system. A more automated, continuous,efficient and reliable system of ensuring that user data items arereplicated (synchronized) at the user's mobile device is thereforeneeded.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system and method of pushing user-selected data items from a hostsystem to a user's mobile data communication device upon detecting theoccurrence of one or more user-defined event triggers is provided. Theuser may then move (or file) the data items to a particular folderwithin a folder hierarchy stored in the mobile data communicationdevice, or may execute some other system operation on the data item.Software operating at the mobile device and the host system thensynchronizes the folder hierarchy of the mobile device with a folderhierarchy of the host system, and any actions executed on the data itemsat the mobile device are then automatically replicated on the same dataitems stored at the host system, thus eliminating the need for the userto manually replicate actions at the host system that have been executedat the mobile data communication device.

As used in this application, the term host system refers to the computerwhere the redirector software is operating. In the preferred embodimentof the present invention, the host system is a user's desktop PC,although, alternatively, the host system could be a network serverconnected to the user's PC via a local-area network (“LAN”), or could beany other system that is in communication with the user's desktop PC.

A redirector program operating at the host system enables the user toredirect or mirror certain user-selected data items (or parts of dataitems) from the host system to the user's mobile data communicationdevice upon detecting that one or more user-defined triggering eventshas occurred. Once the data items are redirected to the user's mobiledata communication device, the user may then organize and sort the itemsinto folder hierarchies that are replicated at the host system. Once theuser acts upon the redirected data items, such as by reading,organizing, replying or forwarding the data item from the mobile datacommunication device, the host system is then informed of these actionsand automatically reflects the changes on the corresponding data itemstored at the host system.

Operating at the host system are various sub-systems that can beconfigured to create triggering events, such as a screen saversub-system or a keyboard sub-system, as well as sub-systems forrepackaging the user's data items for transparent delivery to the mobiledata device, such as a TCP/IP sub-system or one or more E-Mailsub-systems. Other sub-systems for creating triggering events andrepackaging the user's data items could also be present at the hostsystem. The host system also includes a primary memory store where theuser's data items are normally stored with related information as towhich folder the message might have originally been placed into.

Using the redirector program, the user can select certain data items forredirection, such as E-mail messages, calendar events, meetingnotifications, address entries, journal entries, personal reminders,etc. The user can also select which folders get redirected to the mobiledevice. For example, the user may select that only data items in theInbox and those in the company X folder shall be sent to the device.Having selected the data items for redirection, the user can thenconfigure one or more event triggers to be sensed by the redirectorprogram to initiate redirection of the user data items. Theseuser-defined trigger points (or event triggers) include external events,internal events and networked events.

Examples of external events include: receiving a message from the user'smobile data communication device to begin redirection; receiving asimilar message from some external computer; sensing that the user is nolonger in the vicinity of the host system; or any other event that isexternal to the host system. Internal events could be a calendar alarm,screen saver activation, keyboard timeout, programmable timer, or anyother user-defined event that is internal to the host system. Networkedevents are user-defined messages that are transmitted to the host systemfrom another computer coupled to the host system via a network toinitiate redirection. These are just some of the examples of the typesof user-defined events that can trigger the redirector program to pushdata items from the host to the mobile device.

In addition to the functionality noted above, the redirector programprovides a set of software-implemented control functions for determiningthe type of mobile data communication device and its address, forprogramming a preferred list of message types or folder names that areto be redirected, and for determining whether the mobile device canreceive and process certain types of message attachments, such as wordprocessor or voice attachments. The determination of whether aparticular mobile device can receive and process attachments isinitially configured by the user of that mobile device at the hostsystem. This configuration can then be altered on a global or permessage basis by transmitting a command message from the mobile deviceto the host system. If the redirector is configured so that the mobiledata device cannot receive and process word processor or voiceattachments, then the redirector routes these attachments to an externalmachine that is compatible with the particular attachment, such as anetworked printer or fax machine or telephone. Other types ofattachments could be redirected to other types of external machines in asimilar fashion, depending upon the capabilities of the mobile device.For example, if a user is traveling and receives a message with anattachment that the user's mobile device can process or display, theuser may from a mobile communications device send a command message tothe host system indicating that that attachment is to be sent to a faxmachine at a hotel where the user will be spending the evening. Thisenables the user to receive important E-mail attachments as long as thehost system is provided with sufficient information about thedestination where the attachment is to be forwarded.

Once an event has triggered redirection of the user data items, the hostsystem then repackages these items in a manner that is transparent tothe mobile data communication device, so that information on the mobiledevice appears similar to information on the user's host system. Inadditional to repackaging the information itself, the repackaging mayalso include properties about the message. This might include the folderfrom which the message has been detected and pushed to the device. Thepreferred repackaging method includes wrapping the user data items in anE-mail envelope that corresponds to the address of the mobile datacommunication device, although, alternatively, other repackaging methodscould be used with the present invention, such as special-purpose TCP/IPwrapping techniques, or other methods of wrapping the user selected dataitems. The repackaging preferably results in E-mail messages appearingto come from the host system even though they are initiated at themobile device, thus enabling the user to appear to have a single E-mailaddress, such that the recipients of messages sent from the mobilecommunications device do not know where the user was physically locatedwhen the message was first sent. The repackaging also permits bothmessages to the mobile device and sent from the mobile device to beencrypted and decrypted as well as compressed and decompressed.

In an alternative system and method, the redirector program executes ona network server, and the server is programmed to detect numerousredirection event triggers over the network from multiple user desktopcomputers coupled to the server via a LAN. The server can receiveinternal event triggers from each of the user desktops via the network,and can also receive external event triggers, such as messages from theusers' mobile data communication devices. In response to receiving oneof these triggers, the server redirects the user's data items to theproper mobile data communication device. The user data items andaddressing information for a particular mobile device can be stored atthe server or at the user's PC. Using this alternative configuration,one redirector program can serve a plurality of users. This alternativeconfiguration could also include an internet- or intranet-basedredirector program that could be accessible through a secure webpage orother user interface. The redirector program could be located on anInternet Service Provider's system and accessible only through theInternet.

In another alternative configuration of the present invention, aredirector program operates at both the host system and at the user'smobile data communication device. In this configuration, the user'smobile device operates similarly to the host system described below, andis configured in a similar fashion to push certain user-selected dataitems from the mobile device to the user's host system (or some othercomputer) upon detecting an event trigger at the mobile device. Thisconfiguration provides two-way pushing of information from the host tothe mobile device and from the mobile device to the host.

Wireless mobile data communications devices, especially those that canreturn a confirmation signal to the host that the pushed data has beenreceived, are especially well suited for this type of push paradigm. Itis also possible for the mobile data communications device to includeadditional information with the confirmation signal, including, any oneor more of the following actions, the fact that the message: has beenread (the information associated therewith is a “read signal”); has beenfiled in a specific folder (the information associated therewith is a“filed signal”); has been forwarded to another recipient (theinformation associated therewith is a “forward signal”); or, has beenreplied to (the information associated therewith is a “reply signal”).These actions can then be synchronized with the host system, thuseliminating the need for the user to perform these actions a secondtime. The action signals may advantageously be used to indicate thestate of the message at the mobile.

One aspect of the invention, therefore, provides a method of indicatingat the host system the state of the message at the mobile communicationsdevice. The steps of this method preferably include: (A) altering thestate of a first message at the mobile communications device therebycreating an altered state; (B) forwarding a status signal to the hostsystem; and, (C) changing at the host system a first message status iconbased on the altered state at the mobile communications device.Therefore, according to one aspect of the invention, the message statusicon change indicates an altered state of the message at the mobilecommunication device.

One aspect of the invention, therefore, provides a method of indicatingat the host system the state of the message at the mobile communicationsdevice. The steps of this method preferably include: (A) redirecting afirst message from the host system to the mobile communications device,wherein the first message at the host system has a first message statusicon; (B) receiving the redirected first message from the host system atthe mobile communications device; (C) altering the state of the firstmessage at the mobile communications device thereby creating an alteredstate; (D) forwarding a status signal to the host system; and, (E)changing at the host system the first message status icon based on theaction taken at the mobile communications device.

One aspect of the invention provides a method of indicating at a firstdevice, via the host system, the state of the message at the mobilecommunications device. The steps of this method preferably include: (A)redirecting a first message from the host system to the mobilecommunications device, wherein the first message at the host system hasa first message status icon; (B) receiving the redirected first messagefrom the host system at the mobile communications device; (C) alteringthe state of the first message at the mobile communications devicethereby creating an altered state; (D) forwarding a status signal to thehost system; and, (E) changing at the host system the first messagestatus icon based on the action taken at the mobile communicationsdevice; and (F) forwarding a read-receipt to a read-receipt requester'sdevice.

One aspect of the invention provides a method of synchronizing messagesbetween a first system and a second system. The steps of this methodpreferably include: (A) retrieving a first folder hierarchy from thefirst system; (B) retrieving a second folder hierarchy from the secondsystem; (C) synchronizing the second folder hierarchy to the firstfolder hierarchy; (D) retrieving a first plurality of messages from thefirst system, the first plurality of messages being stored in folderswithin the first folder hierarchy; (E) retrieving a second plurality ofmessages from the second system, the second plurality of messages beingstored in folders within the second folder hierarchy; (F) comparing thefirst plurality of messages to the second plurality of messages toidentify common messages stored in both the first and second folderhierarchies; (G) determining whether any of the common messages arestored in different folders in the first and second folder hierarchies;and (H) if a common message is located in different folders of the firstand second folder hierarchies, then synchronizing the messages by movingthe common message to a new folder within the first folder hierarchy orby moving the common message to a new folder within the second folderhierarchy.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method of synchronizingmessages stored in a folder hierarchy at a host system and acorresponding folder hierarchy at a mobile data communication device.This method preferably includes the following steps: (A) receiving amessage at the host system; (B) storing the message in a first folder ofthe folder hierarchy at the host system; (C) transmitting the message tothe mobile data communication device; (D) storing the message in a firstfolder of the folder hierarchy at the mobile data communication device;(E) moving the message from the first folder to a second folder at themobile data communication device; (F) coupling the mobile datacommunication device to the host system; (G) detecting that the messagehas been moved to the second folder at the mobile data communicationdevice; and (H) in response to the detection step, moving the messagefrom the first folder at the host system to a second folder of thefolder hierarchy at the host system that corresponds to the secondfolder of the folder hierarchy at the mobile data communication device.

Still another aspect of the invention provides a method of synchronizingmessages stored in a folder hierarchy at a host system and acorresponding folder hierarchy at a mobile data communication device,comprising the steps of: (A) receiving a message at the host system; (B)storing the message in a first folder of the folder hierarchy at thehost system; (C) transmitting the message to the mobile datacommunication device; (D) storing the message in a first folder of thefolder hierarchy at the mobile data communication device; (E) moving themessage from the first folder to a second folder at the mobile datacommunication device; (F) transmitting a move message from the mobiledata communication device to the host system indicating that the messagehas been moved to the second folder at the mobile data communicationdevice; and (G) receiving the move message at the host system and movingthe message stored in the first folder at the host system to a secondfolder at the host system that corresponds to the second folder at themobile data communication device.

Yet another aspect of the invention provides a method of synchronizing afirst device to a second device, comprising the steps of: (A) providinga first folder hierarchy at the first device; (B) providing a secondfolder hierarchy at the second device; (C) synchronizing the secondfolder hierarchy to the first folder hierarchy; (D) retrieving a firstplurality of messages stored within the first folder hierarchy andretrieving a second plurality of messages stored within the secondfolder hierarchy, wherein at least one of the first plurality ofmessages and at least one of the second plurality of messages are commonmessages; (E) determining whether the common messages are stored insimilar folders within the first and second folder hierarchies; and (F)if the common messages are not stored in similar folders, thensynchronizing the common messages so that they are stored in similarfolders within the first and second folder hierarchies.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method of synchronizing afirst device to a second device, comprising the steps of: (A) providinga first folder hierarchy at the first device; (B) providing a secondfolder hierarchy at the second device; (C) retrieving a first pluralityof messages stored within the first folder hierarchy and retrieving asecond plurality of messages stored within the second folder hierarchy;(D) determining whether the first device executed an operation on amessage stored in the first folder hierarchy, and if so, then executingthe same operation on a corresponding message stored in the secondfolder hierarchy at the second device.

Still another aspect of the invention provides a system forsynchronizing messages between a first device and a second device,comprising: a pair of matching folders, one of the pair of matchingfolders being located on the first device, the other of the pair ofmatching folders being located on the second device; a pair of matchingmessages, one of the pair of matching messages being located on thefirst device, the other of the pair of matching messages being locatedon the second device; and means for moving the pair of messages suchthat if one of the pair of matching messages is moved to one of the pairof matching folders, the other matching message is moved to the othermatching folder.

An advantage of the present invention is that it provides a system andmethod for triggering the continuous and real-time redirection ofuser-selected data items from a host system to a mobile datacommunication device. Other advantages of the present invention include:(1) flexibility in defining the types of user data to redirect, and indefining a preferred list of message types and folder names that are tobe redirected or preferred senders whose messages are to be redirected;(2) flexibility in configuring the system to respond to numerousinternal, external and networked triggering events; (3) transparentrepackaging of the user data items in a variety of ways such that themobile data communication device appears as though it were the hostsystem; (4) integration with other host system components such asE-mail, TCP/IP, keyboard, screen saver, webpages and certain programsthat can either create user data items or be configured to providetrigger points; (5) the ability to operate locally on a user's desktopsystem or at a distance via a network server; (6) the ability to storefolder hierarchies on the mobile data communications device so that usercan organize the information during those periods when information isbeing redirected to said device; and (7) eliminating the need toorganize the information a second time once the user returns to theoffice to work from their host system.

A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides asoftware structure and method for managing messages between the mobiledata communication device and the host system. The software provides alogical structure for folders and messages that can detect movement ofmessages between folders on either the mobile data communication deviceor the host system. This allows the user the flexibility to organizemessages into folders on the mobile data communication device withouthaving to replicate the organizational work on the host system, or viceversa. The folder and message software structure further provides theredirector program trigger signals for forwarding messages.

These are just a few of the many advantages of the present invention, asdescribed in more detail below. As will be appreciated, the invention iscapable of other and different embodiments, and its several details arecapable of modifications in various respects, all without departing fromthe spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptionof the preferred embodiments set forth below are to be regarded asillustrative in nature and not restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing the redirection of user data itemsfrom a user's desktop PC (host system) to the user's mobile datacommunication device, where the redirector software is operating at theuser's desktop PC.

FIG. 2 is a system diagram showing the redirection of user data itemsfrom a network server (host system) to the user's mobile datacommunication device, where the redirector software is operating at theserver.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the interaction of the redirectorsoftware with other components of the host system in FIG. 1 (the user'sdesktop PC) to enable the pushing of information from the host system tothe user's mobile data communication device.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the steps carried out by the redirectorsoftware operating at the host system.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the steps carried out by the mobile datacommunication device to interface with the redirector software operatingat the host system.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the logical structure of a folder and amessage.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the steps of synchronizing folders andmessages between the host system and the mobile data communicationdevice.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing the steps of assigning IDs to folders.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing the steps of retrieving messages from thestore.

FIGS. 10 A and B is a flow chart more specifically showing the steps ofsynchronizing messages between the host system and the mobile datacommunication device.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing the steps of attaching a folder ID to amessage.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing the steps of moving a message locally ona device.

FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing the steps of sending a move message tothe host system after a message has been moved on the mobile device.

FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing the steps of sending a move message fromthe host system to the mobile device after a message has been moved onthe host system.

FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing the steps of acting upon the movemessage command of FIG. 13 at the device.

FIG. 16 is a flow chart showing the steps of acting upon the messagemove command of FIG. 14.

FIG. 17 is a flow chart showing the steps of deleting a message.

FIG. 18 is a flow chart showing the steps of purging a message.

FIG. 19 is a flow chart showing the steps of generating a folder listfor redirecting messages received at a store.

FIG. 20 is a flow chart showing the steps of redirecting a messagereceived and filed in the folder list of FIG. 19.

FIG. 21 is a block diagram of yet another mobile communication device 24in which the instant invention may be implemented.

FIG. 22 illustrates the mobile device modules involved with bundlingmultiple commands and data items together for transmission to themessage server.

FIG. 23 illustrates the message server components involved with bundlingmultiple commands and data items together for transmission to the mobiledevice.

FIG. 24 is a data flow diagram of the steps used to collect a series ofdata items for sending to either the message server or the mobiledevice.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is an example system diagramshowing the redirection of user data items (such as message A or C) froma user's office PC (host system) 10 to the user's mobile datacommunication device 24, where the redirector software 12 is operatingat the user's PC. Message A in FIG. 1 represents an internal messagesent from desktop 26 to the user's host system 10 via LAN 14. Message Cin FIG. 1 represents an external message from a sender that is notdirectly connected to LAN 14, such as the user's mobile datacommunication device 24, some other user's mobile device (not shown), orany user connected to the Internet 118. Message C also represents acommand message from the user's mobile data communication device 24 tothe host system 10. As described in more detail in FIG. 3, the hostsystem 10 preferably includes, along with the typical hardware andsoftware associated with a workstation or desktop computer, theredirector program 12, a TCP/IP subsystem 42, a primary message store40, an E-mail subsystem 44, a screen saver subsystem 48, and a keyboardsubsystem 46.

In FIG. 1, the host system 110 is the user's desktop system, typicallylocated in the user's office. The host system 10 is connected to a LAN14, which also connects to other computers 26, 28 that may be in theuser's office or elsewhere. The LAN 14, in turn, is connected to a widearea network (“WAN”) 18, preferably the Internet, which is defined bythe use of the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol(“TCP/IP”) to exchange information, but which, alternatively could beany other type of WAN. The connection of the LAN 14 to the WAN 18 is viahigh bandwidth link 16, typically a T1 or T3 connection. The WAN 18, inturn, is connected to a variety of gateways 20, via connections 32. Agateway forms a connection or bridge between the WAN 18 and some othertype of network, such as an RF wireless network, cellular network,satellite network, or other synchronous or asynchronous land-lineconnection.

In the example of FIG. 1, a wireless gateway 20 is connected to theInternet for communicating via wireless link 22 to a plurality ofwireless mobile data communication devices 24. Also shown in FIG. 1 ismachine 30, which could be a FAX machine, a printer, a system fordisplaying images (such as video) or a machine capable of processing andplaying audio files, such as a voice mail system. The present inventionincludes the ability to redirect certain message attachments to such anexternal machine 30 if the redirector program configuration datareflects that the mobile device 24 cannot receive and process theattachments, or if the user has specified that certain attachments arenot to be forwarded to mobile device 24, even if such device can processthose attachments. By way of example, consider an E-mail sent to a userthat includes three attachments—a word processing document, a video clipand an audio clip. The redirection program could be configured to sendthe text of the E-mail to the remote device, to send the word processingdocument to a networked printer located near the user, to send the videoclip to a store accessible through a secure connection through theInternet, and to send the audio clip to the user's voice mail system.This example is not intended to limit the breadth and scope of theinvention, but rather to illustrate the variety of possibilitiesembodied in the redirection concept.

The preferred mobile data communication device 24 is a hand-held two-waywireless paging computer, a wirelessly enabled palm-top computer, amobile telephone with data messaging capabilities, or a wirelesslyenabled laptop computer, but could, alternatively be other types ofmobile data communication devices capable of sending and receivingmessages via a network connection 22. Although it is preferable for thesystem to operate in a two-way communications mode, certain aspects ofthe invention could be beneficially used in a “one and one-half” oracknowledgment paging environment, or even with a one-way paging system.The mobile data communication device 24 includes software programinstructions that work in conjunction with the redirector program 12 toenable the seamless, transparent redirection of user-selected dataitems. FIG. 4 describes the basic method steps of the redirector program12, and FIG. 5 describes the steps of the corresponding programoperating at the mobile device 24.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, not explicitlyshown in the drawings, the mobile device 24 also includes a redirectorprogram. In this embodiment, user selected data items can be replicatedfrom the host to the mobile device and vice versa. The configuration andoperation of the mobile device 24 having a redirector program is similarto that described herein with respect to FIGS. 1-4.

A user of the present invention can configure the redirector program 12to push certain user-selected data items to the user's mobile datacommunication device 24 when the redirector 12 detects that a particularuser-defined event trigger (or trigger point) has taken place.User-selected data items preferably include E-mail messages, calendarevents, meeting notifications, address entries, journal entries,personal alerts, alarms, warnings, stock quotes, news bulletins, etc.,but could, alternatively, include any other type of message that istransmitted to the host system 10, or that the host system 10 acquiresthrough the use of intelligent agents, such as data that is receivedafter the host system 10 initiates a search of a database or a websiteor a bulletin board. In some instances, only a portion of the data itemis transmitted to the mobile device 24 in order to minimize the amountof data transmitted via the wireless network 22. In these instances, themobile device 24 can optionally send a command message to the hostsystem to receive more or all of the data item if the user desires toreceive it.

The user-defined event triggers that can be detected by the redirectorprogram 12 preferably include external events, internal events andnetworked events. External events preferably include: (1) receiving acommand message (such as message C) from the user's mobile datacommunication device to begin redirection, or to execute some othercommand at the host, such as a command to enable the preferred listmode, or to add or subtract a particular sender from the preferred list;(2) receiving a similar message from some external computer; and (3)sensing that the user is no longer in the vicinity of the host system;although, alternatively, an external event can be any other detectableoccurrence that is external to the host system. Internal events could bea calendar alarm, screen saver activation, keyboard timeout,programmable timer, or any other user-defined event that is internal tothe host system. Networked events are user-defined messages that aretransmitted to the host system from another computer coupled to the hostsystem via a network to initiate redirection. These are just some of theevents that could be used with the present invention to initiatereplication of the user-selected data items from the host system 10 tothe mobile device 24.

FIG. 1 shows an E-mail message A being communicated over LAN 14 fromcomputer 26 to the user's desktop system 10 (also shown in FIG. 1 is anexternal message C, which could be an E-mail message from an Internetuser, or could be a command message from the user's mobile device 24).Once the message A (or C) reaches the primary message store of the hostsystem 10, it can be detected and acted upon by the redirection software12. The redirection software 12 can use many methods of detecting newmessages. The preferred method of detecting new messages is usingMicrosoft's® Messaging API (MAPI), in which programs, such as theredirector program 12, register for notifications or ‘advise syncs’ whenchanges to a mailbox take place. Other methods of detecting new messagescould also be used with the present invention.

Assuming that the redirector program 12 is activated, and has beenconfigured by the user (either through the sensing of an internal,network or external event) to replicate certain user data items(including messages of type A or C) to the mobile device 24, when themessage A is received at the host system 10, the redirector program 12detects its presence and prepares the message for redirection to themobile device 24. In preparing the message A for redirection, theredirector program 12 could compress the original message A, couldcompress the message header, or could encrypt the entire message A tocreate a secure link to the mobile device 24.

Also programmed into the redirector 12 is the address of the user'smobile data communication device 24, the type of device, and whether thedevice 24 can accept certain types of attachments, such as wordprocessing or voice attachments. If the user's type of mobile devicecannot accept these types of attachments, then the redirector 12 can beprogrammed to route the attachments to a fax or voice number where theuser is located using an attached fax or voice machine 30.

The redirector may also be programmed with a preferred list mode that isconfigured by the user either at the host system 10, or remotely fromthe user's mobile data communication device by transmitting a commandmessage C. The preferred list contains a list of senders (other users)whose messages are to be redirected or a list of message characteristicsthat determine whether a message is to be redirected. If activated, thepreferred list mode causes the redirector program 12 to operate like afilter, only redirecting certain user data items based on whether theparticular data item was sent from a sender on the preferred list or hascertain message characteristics that if present will trigger or suppressredirection of the message.

In the example of FIG. 1, if desktop system 26 was operated by a user onthe preferred list of host system 10, and the preferred list option wasactivated, then message A would be redirected. If, however, desktop 26was operated by a user not on the host system's preferred list, thenmessage A would not be redirected, even if the user of the host systemhad configured the redirector to push messages of type A. The user ofthe host system 10 can configure the preferred list directly from thedesktop system, or, alternatively, the user can send a command message(such as C) from the mobile device 24 to the desktop system 10 toactivate the preferred list mode, or to add or delete certain senders ormessage characteristics from the preferred list that was previouslyconfigured. It should be appreciated that a redirection program couldcombine message characteristics and preferred sender lists to result ina more finely-tuned filter. Messages marked as low priority or that aresimple return receipts or message read receipts, for example, couldalways be suppressed from redirection while messages from a particularsender would always be redirected.

After the redirector has determined that a particular message should beredirected, and it has prepared the message for redirection, thesoftware 12 then sends the message A to a secondary memory store locatedin the mobile device 24, using whatever means are necessary. In thepreferred embodiment this method is to send the message A back over theLAN 14, WAN 18, and through the wireless gateway 20 to the mobile datacommunication device 24. In doing so, the redirector preferablyrepackages message A as an E-mail with an outer envelope B that containsthe addressing information of the mobile device 24, although alternativerepackaging techniques and protocols could be used, such as a TCP/IPrepackaging and delivery method (most commonly used in the alternativeserver configuration shown in FIG. 2). The wireless gateway 20 requiresthis outer envelope information B in order to know where to send theredirected message A. Once the message (A in B) is received by themobile device 24, the outer envelope B is removed and the originalmessage A is placed in the secondary memory store within the mobiledevice 24. By repackaging and removing the outer envelope in thismanner, the present invention causes the mobile computer 24 to appear tobe at the same physical location as the host system 10, thus creating atransparent system.

In the case where message C is representative of an external messagefrom a computer on the Internet 18 to the host system 10, and the host10 has been configured to redirect messages of type C, then in a similarmanner to message A, message C would be repackaged with an outerenvelope B and transmitted to the user's mobile device 24. In the casewhere message C is representative of a command message from the user'smobile device 24 to the host system 10, then the command message C isnot redirected, but is acted upon by the host system 10.

If the redirected user data item is an E-mail message, as describedabove, the user at the mobile device 24 sees the original subject,sender's address, destination address, carbon copy and blind carboncopy. When the user replies to this message, or when the user authors anew message, the software operating at the mobile device 24 adds asimilar outer envelope to the reply message (or the new message) tocause the message to be routed first to the user's host system 10, whichthen removes the outer envelope and redirects the message to the finaldestination, such as back to computer 26. In the preferred embodiment,this results in the outgoing redirected message from the user's hostsystem 10 being sent using the E-mail address of the host mailbox,rather than the address of the mobile device, so that it appears to therecipient of the message that the message originated from the user'sdesktop system 10 rather than the mobile data communication device. Anyreplies to the redirected message will then be sent to the desktopsystem 10, which if it is still in redirector mode, will repackage thereply and resend it to the user's mobile data device, as describedabove.

FIG. 2 is an alternative system diagram showing the redirection of userdata items from a network server 11 to the user's mobile datacommunication device 24, where the redirector software 12 is operatingat the server 11. This configuration is particularly advantageous foruse with message servers such as Microsoft's® Exchange Server, which isnormally operated so that all user messages are kept in one centrallocation or mailbox store on the server instead of in a store withineach user's desktop PC. This configuration has the additional advantageof allowing a single system administrator to configure and keep track ofall users having messages redirected. If the system includes encryptionkeys, these too can be kept at one place for management and updatepurposes.

In this alternative configuration, server 11 preferably maintains a userprofile for each user's desktop system 10, 26, 28, including informationsuch as whether a particular user can have data items redirected, whichtypes of message and information to redirect, what events will triggerredirection, the address of the users' mobile data communication device24, the type of mobile device, and the user's preferred list, if any.The event triggers are preferably detected at the user's desktop system10, 26, 28 and can be any of the external, internal or network eventslisted above. The desktop systems 10, 26, 28 preferably detect theseevents and then transmit a message to the server computer 11 via LAN 14to initiate redirection. Although the user data items are preferablystored at the server computer 11 in this embodiment, they could,alternatively, be stored at each user's desktop system 10, 26, 28, whichwould then transmit them to the server computer 11 after an event hastriggered redirection.

As shown in FIG. 2, desktop system 26 generates a message A that istransmitted to and stored at the host system 11, which is the networkserver operating the redirector program 12. The message A is for desktopsystem 10, but in this embodiment, user messages are stored at thenetwork server 11. When an event occurs at desktop system 10, an eventtrigger is generated and transmitted to the network server 11, whichthen determines who the trigger is from, whether that desktop hasredirection capabilities, and if so, the server (operating theredirector program) uses the stored configuration information toredirect message A to the mobile computer 24 associated with the user ofdesktop system 10.

As described above with reference to FIG. 1, message C could be either acommand message from a user's mobile data communication device 24, or itcould be a message from an external computer, such as a computerconnected to the Internet 18. If the message C is from an Internetcomputer to the user's desktop system 10, and the user has redirectioncapabilities, then the server 11 detects the message C, repackages itusing electronic envelope B, and redirects the repackaged message (C inB) to the user's mobile device 24. If the message C is a command messagefrom the user's mobile device 24, then the server 11 simply acts uponthe command message.

Turning now to FIG. 3, a block diagram showing the interaction of theredirector software 12 with additional components of the host system 10of FIG. 1 (the desktop PC) to enable more fully the pushing ofinformation from the host system 10 to the user's mobile datacommunication device 24 is set forth. These additional components areillustrative of the type of event-generating systems that can beconfigured and used with the redirector software 12, and of the type ofrepackaging systems that can be used to interface with the mobilecommunication device 24 to make it appear transparent to the user.

The desktop system 10 is connected to LAN 14, and can send and receivedata, messages, signals, event triggers, etc., to and from other systemsconnected to the LAN 14 and to external networks 18, 22, such as theInternet or a wireless data network, which are also coupled to the LAN14. In addition to the standard hardware, operating system, andapplication programs associated with a typical microcomputer orworkstation, the desktop system 10 includes the redirector program 12, aTCP/IP sub-system 42, an E-mail sub-system 44, a primary data storagedevice 40, a screen saver sub-system 48, and a keyboard sub-system 46.The TCP/IP and E-mail subsystems 42, 44 are examples of repackagingsystems that can be used to achieve the transparency of the presentinvention, and the screen saver and keyboard sub-systems 46, 48 areexamples of event generating systems that can be configured to generateevent messages or signals that trigger redirection of the user selecteddata items.

The method steps carried out by the redirector program 12 are describedin more detail in FIG. 4. The basic functions of this program are: (1)configure and setup the user-defined event trigger points that willstart redirection; (2) configure the types of user data items forredirection and optionally configure a preferred list of senders whosemessages are to be redirected; (3) configure the type and capabilitiesof the user's mobile data communication device; (4) receive messages andsignals from the repackaging systems and the event generating systems;and (5) command and control the redirection of the user-selected dataitems to the mobile data communication device via the repackagingsystems. Other functions not specifically enumerated could also beintegrated into this program.

The E-Mail sub-system 44 is the preferred link to repackaging theuser-selected data items for transmission to the mobile datacommunication device 24, and preferably uses industry standard mailprotocols, such as SMTP, POP, IMAP, MIME and RFC-822, to name but a few.The E-Mail sub-system 44 can receive messages A from external computerson the LAN 14, or can receive messages C from some external network suchas the Internet 18 or a wireless data communication network 22, andstores these messages in the primary data store 40. Assuming that theredirector 12 has been triggered to redirect messages of this type, theredirector detects the presence of any new messages and instructs theE-Mail system 44 to repackage the message by placing an outer wrapper Babout the original message A (or C), and by providing the addressinginformation of the mobile data communication device 24 on the outerwrapper B. As noted above, this outer wrapper B is removed by the mobiledevice 24, and the original message A (or C) is then recovered, thusmaking the mobile device 24 appear to be the desktop system 10. Inaddition, the E-Mail sub-system 44 receives messages back from themobile device 24 having an outer wrapper with the addressing informationof the desktop system 10, and strips this information away so that themessage can be routed to the proper sender of the original message A (orC). The E-Mail sub-system also receives command messages C from themobile device 24 that are directed to the desktop system 10 to triggerredirection or to carry out some other function. The functionality ofthe E-Mail sub-system 44 is controlled by the redirector program 12.

The TCP/IP sub-system 42 is an alternative repackaging system. Itincludes all of the functionality of the E-Mail sub-system 44, butinstead of repackaging the user-selected data items as standard E-mailmessages, this system repackages the data items using special-purposeTCP/IP packaging techniques. This type of special-purpose sub-system isuseful in situations where security and improved speed are important tothe user. The provision of a special-purpose wrapper that can only beremoved by special software on the mobile device 24 provides the addedsecurity, and the bypassing of E-mail store and forward systems canimprove speed and real-time delivery.

As described previously, the present invention can be triggered to beginredirection upon detecting numerous external, internal and networkedevents, or trigger points. Examples of external events include:receiving a command message from the user's mobile data communicationdevice 24 to begin redirection; receiving a similar message from someexternal computer; sensing that the user is no longer in the vicinity ofthe host system; or any other event that is external to the host system.Internal events could be a calendar alarm, screen saver activation,keyboard timeout, programmable timer, or any other user-defined eventthat is internal to the host system. Networked events are user-definedmessages that are transmitted to the host system from another computerthat is connected to the host system via a network to initiateredirection.

The screen saver and keyboard sub-systems 46, 48 are examples of systemsthat are capable of generating internal events. Functionally, theredirector program 12 provides the user with the ability to configurethe screen saver and keyboard systems so that under certain conditionsan event trigger will be generated that can be detected by theredirector 12 to start the redirection process. For example, the screensaver system can be configured so that when the screen saver isactivated, after, for example, 10 minutes of inactivity on the desktopsystem, an event trigger is transmitted to the redirector 12, whichstarts redirecting the previously selected user data items. In a similarmanner the keyboard sub-system can be configured to generate eventtriggers when no key has been depressed for a particular period of time,thus indicating that redirection should commence. These are just twoexamples of the numerous application programs and hardware systemsinternal to the host system 10 that can be used to generate internalevent triggers.

FIGS. 4 and 5, set forth, respectively, flow charts showing the stepscarried out by the redirector software 12 operating at the host system10, and the steps carried out by the mobile data communication device 24in order to interface with the host system. Turning first to FIG. 4, atstep 50, the redirector program 12 is started and initially configured.The initial configuration of the redirector 12 includes: (1) definingthe event triggers that the user has determined will triggerredirection; (2) selecting the user data items for redirection; (3)selecting the repackaging sub-system, either standard E-Mail, orspecial-purpose technique; (4) selecting the type of data communicationdevice, indicating whether and what type of attachments the device iscapable of receiving and processing, and inputting the address of themobile device; and (5) configuring the preferred list of user selectedsenders whose messages are to be redirected.

FIG. 4 sets forth the basic steps of the redirector program 12 assumingit is operating at a desktop system 10, such as shown in FIG. 1. If theredirector 12 is operating at a network server 11, as shown in FIG. 2,then additional configuration steps may be necessary to enableredirection for a particular desktop system 10, 26, 28 connected to theserver, including: (1) setting up a profile for the desktop systemindicating its address, events that will trigger redirection, and thedata items that are to be redirected upon detecting an event; (2)maintaining a storage area at the server for the data items; and (3)storing the type of data communication device to which the desktopsystem's data items are to be redirected, whether and what type ofattachments the device is capable of receiving and processing, and theaddress of the mobile device.

Once the redirector program is configured 50, the trigger points (orevent triggers) are enabled at step 52. The program 12 then waits 56 formessages and signals 54 to begin the redirection process. A messagecould be an E-Mail message or some other user data item than may havebeen selected for redirection, and a signal could be a trigger signal,or could be some other type of signal that has not been configured as anevent trigger. When a message or signal is detected, the programdetermines 58 whether it is one of the trigger events that has beenconfigured by the user to signal redirection. If so, then at step 60 atrigger flag is set, indicating that subsequently received user dataitems (in the form of messages) that have been selected for redirectionshould be pushed to the user's mobile data communication device 24.

If the message or signal 54 is not a trigger event, the program thendetermines at steps 62, 68 and 66 whether the message is, respectively,a system alarm 62, an E-Mail message 64, or some other type ofinformation that has been selected for redirection. If the message orsignal is none of these three items, then control returns to step 56,where the redirector waits for additional messages 54 to act upon. If,however the message is one of these three types of information, then theprogram 12 determines, at step 68, whether the trigger flag has beenset, indicating that the user wants these items redirected to the mobiledevice. If the trigger flag is set, then at step 70, the redirector 12causes the repackaging system (E-Mail or TCP/IP) to add the outerenvelope to the user data item, and at step 72 the repackaged data itemis then redirected to the user's mobile data communication device 24 viaLAN 14, WAN 18, wireless gateway 20 and wireless network 22. Controlthen returns to step 56 where the program waits for additional messagesand signals to act upon. Although not shown explicitly in FIG. 4, afterstep 68, the program could, if operating in the preferred list mode,determine whether the sender of a particular data item is on thepreferred list, and if not, then the program would skip over steps 70and 72 and proceed directly back to step 56. If the sender was on thepreferred list, then control would similarly pass to steps 70 and 72 forrepackaging and transmission of the message from the preferred listsender.

FIG. 5 sets forth the method steps carried out by the user's mobile datacommunication device 24 in order to interface to the redirector program12 of the present invention. At step 80 the mobile software is startedand the mobile device 24 is configured to operate with the system of thepresent invention, including, for example, storing the address of theuser's desktop system 10.

At step 82, the mobile device waits for messages and signals 84 to begenerated or received. Assuming that the redirector software 12operating at the user's desktop system 10 is configured to redirect uponreceiving a message from the user's mobile device 24, at step 86, theuser can decide to generate a command message that will startredirection. If the user does so, then at step 88 the redirectionmessage is composed and sent to the desktop system 10 via the wirelessnetwork 22, through the wireless gateway 20, via the Internet 18 to theLAN 14, and is finally routed to the desktop machine 10. In thissituation where the mobile device 24 is sending a message directly tothe desktop system 10, no outer wrapper is added to the message (such asmessage C in FIGS. 1 and 2).

In addition to the redirection signal, the mobile device 24 couldtransmit any number of other commands to control the operation of thehost system, and in particular the redirector program 12. For example,the mobile 24 could transmit a command to put the host system into thepreferred list mode, and then could transmit additional commands to addor subtract certain senders from the preferred list. In this manner, themobile device 24 can dynamically limit the amount of information beingredirected to it by minimizing the number of senders on the preferredlist. Other example commands include: (1) a message to change theconfiguration of the host system to enable the mobile device 24 toreceive and process certain attachments; and (2) a message to instructthe host system to redirect an entire data item to the mobile device inthe situation where only a portion of a particular data item has beenredirected.

Turning back to FIG. 5, if the user signal or message is not a directmessage to the desktop system 10 to begin redirection (or some othercommand), then control is passed to step 90, which determines if amessage has been received. If a message is received by the mobile, andit is a message from the user's desktop 10, as determined at step 92,then at step 94 a desktop redirection flag is set “on” for this message,and control passes to step 96 where the outer envelope is removed.Following step 96, or in the situation where the message is not from theuser's desktop, as determined at step 92, control passes to step 98,which displays the message for the user on the mobile device's display.The mobile unit 24 then returns to step 82 and waits for additionalmessages or signals.

If the mobile device 24 determines that a message has not been receivedat step 90, then control passes to step 100, where the mobile determineswhether there is a message to send. If not, then the mobile unit returnsto step 82 and waits for additional messages or signals. If there is atleast one message to send, then at step 102 the mobile determineswhether it is a reply message to a message that was received by themobile unit. If the message to send is a reply message, then at step108, the mobile determines whether the desktop redirection flag is onfor this message. If the redirection flag is not on, then at step 106the reply message is simply transmitted from the mobile device to thedestination address via the wireless network 22. If, however, theredirection flag is on, then at step 110 the reply message is repackagedwith the outer envelope having the addressing information of the user'sdesktop system 10, and the repackaged message is then transmitted to thedesktop system 10 at step 106. As described above, the redirectorprogram 12 executing at the desktop system then strips the outerenvelope and routes the reply message to the appropriate destinationaddress using the address of the desktop system as the “from” field, sothat to the recipient of the redirected message, it appears as though itoriginated from the user's desktop system rather than the mobile datacommunication device.

If, at step 102, the mobile determines that the message is not a replymessage, but an original message, then control passes to step 104, wherethe mobile determines if the user is using the redirector software 12 atthe desktop system 10, by checking the mobile unit's configuration. Ifthe user is not using the redirector software 12, then the message issimply transmitted to the destination address at step 106. If, however,the mobile determines that the user is using the redirector software 12at the desktop system 10, then control passes to step 110, where theouter envelope is added to the message. The repackaged original messageis then transmitted to the desktop system 10 at step 106, which, asdescribed previously, strips the outer envelope and routes the messageto the correct destination. Following transmission of the message atstep 106, control of the mobile returns to step 82 and waits foradditional messages or signals.

Organizing and storing messages in the mobile device 24 and the hostsystem 10 is set forth in FIGS. 6 through 18. The mobile device 24preferably includes a hierarchical folder system, as does the hostsystem 10. The user can select from multiple levels of folders to find acertain folder. For example, the user can organize messages intocategories such as friends, co-workers, contacts, and “to do” list onthe mobile device 24 and at the host system 10. Software on the mobiledevice 24 and the host system 10 organizes the messages so that filing amessage on either the mobile device 24 or the host system 10 will berecognized at the other end either by commands sent through theredirector program or by synchronizing the mobile device with the hostsystem. Synchronization can occur, for example, by plugging the mobiledevice into an interface cradle coupled to the host system or through awireless device-to-host interface.

FIG. 6 sets forth a preferred message structure 120 and folder structure130 for messages and folders that are stored on the host system 10 andthe mobile device 24. The message structure 120 includes a message bodyand a message header. The message header preferably includes tags suchas a message ID and a folder ID. The message ID is a unique tag that isassociated with a single message. The message ID is assigned to amessage when the message is received in the store. The folder ID is atag that contains the unique ID of the folder in which the message is tobe stored.

The folder structure includes a folder ID, folder type, folder name,parent folder ID, and parent folder type. The folder ID is a unique tagfor each folder. The folder ID is generated when the mobile device 24 issynchronized to the host system 10. The folder type specifies attributesof the folder that differentiate it from other folders. One such foldercould be a deleted items folder. The deleted items folder could be setto automatically purge messages after a given time. The folder name isthe name of the folder that will be displayed on the device 24 or thehost system 10. The parent folder ID is the folder ID of the folder thatis one level above the current folder in the hierarchical system. Theparent folder type specifies attributes of the parent folder thatdifferentiates it from other folders.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating the basic steps of synchronizingfolders and messages between the host system 10 and the mobile device24. Synchronization starts in step 140 when the mobile device 24 iscoupled to the host system 10 by, for example, (1) placing the device inan interface cradle or a suitable equivalent; or (2) initiating anover-the-wireless-network synchronization. In this step, the folderhierarchy is received and tagged and the folder list is created in step142 from a store at the host system 10. In step 144, the mobile device24 is updated using the list of folders from the store. After thefolders on the mobile device are updated 144 to match the folderstructures 130 in the host system 10, the messages stored in the hostsystem 10 are retrieved in step 146. The messages in the mobile device24 are similarly retrieved in step 148. Step 150 compares the uniquemessage IDs of messages in the mobile device 24 and the host system 10to find similar messages. Once similar messages are found on the mobiledevice 24 and the host system 10, step 152 determines whether or not amessage has been moved within the folder system. When one of the twomessages (host message and mobile device message) is determined to havebeen moved, the other message is moved to the folder that matches thefolder ID of the moved message in step 154. All similar messages fromthe mobile device 24 and the host system 10 are checked to determine 152where the messages should be placed and moved 154 accordingly.

The folder structure synchronization process 136 first synchronizes thefolder hierarchy of the mobile device 24 to the hierarchy of the hostsystem and then moves a message that the user has filed in a folder onthe mobile device 24 to the corresponding folder on the host system 10.Correspondingly, when the user has filed a message in a folder on thehost system 10, the folder structure synchronization process 136 willmove the message to the corresponding folder on the mobile device 24.This is advantageous, for example, for a user who uses his defaultmessage receive folder (inbox) as a measure of incomplete and completejobs. It also eliminates the need to deal with the message a second timeonce the user returns to the office and uses primarily the host systemand the associated folder structure therein.

FIGS. 8 through 18 illustrate in more detail the steps required tosynchronize the messages and folders of the mobile device 24 to the hostsystem 10. FIG. 8 sets forth the method steps carried out by the hostsystem 10 to assign folder IDs to the folders (step 142 from FIG. 7).When the mobile device 24 is coupled with 160 the host system 10, thelast assigned folder ID is retrieved from the mobile device 24 at step162. A “special” folder list is retrieved in step 164 from the store ofthe host system 10. A “special” folder is a folder such as a deletedfolder or an inbox folder where specific rules are set for managingmessages within the folder. Based on the hierarchical structure, thehost system 10 gets the top folder in step 166 and checks if the topfolder is flagged in step 168. If the top folder is not flagged, step170 assigns a folder ID to the folder based on the last assigned numberretrieved in step 162. Once the top folder is assigned an ID number, thetop folder is checked against the special folders and assigned a foldertype in step 172.

By continuing to select through the hierarchical folder structure, step174 retrieves subfolders of the top folder. The subfolder is checked fora folder ID in step 176 and assigned a folder ID in step 178 if nofolder ID is found in step 176. Step 180 assigns a folder type to thesubfolder. Step 182 checks for a subfolder underneath the currentfolder. If another subfolder is found, it is assigned as the top folderin step 184 and returned to step 174. If there are no more subfoldersunderneath the current sub folder, step 186 retrieves the next subfolderand returns the retrieved subfolder to step 176. Once the last subfolderis retrieved, step 190 ends the tag and retrieve step 142 of the folderstructure synchronization process 136. Overall, this is a recursiveoperation performed for all the subfolders starting from the top folderof the information store.

FIG. 9 sets forth the steps of retrieving the messages from the hostsystem 10 as shown in step 146 of FIG. 7. Step 200 retrieves the list ofmessages from the store that have the unique IDs assigned to them. Themessage is checked for a folder ID in step 202. If a folder ID is notassigned, the current folder ID is assigned to the message in step 204.Step 206 checks the folder ID of the message against the current folderID to see if they match. If the current folder ID and the folder ID onthe message do not match, a move flag is set in step 208. The currentfolder ID is indicated in step 210, the next message is retrieved instep 212, and the next message is returned to step 202. Once allmessages with unique IDs have been retrieved in step 212, the processends in step 214. The list of messages with unique IDs retrieved fromthe store is referred to as messages ‘A’.

The steps set forth in FIG. 9 are repeated for the mobile device 24. Themessages from the mobile device 24 are referred to as messages ‘B’. Oncethese steps have been accomplished, the folder structure synchronizationprocess 136 includes a list of all unique messages ‘B’ and ‘A’ in themobile device 24 and the host system 10, respectively. For each messagein the list, a move flag is either on or off. The move flags ofequivalent messages in the set of messages ‘A’ and ‘B’ are compared inFIGS. 10A and 10B to determine the proper folder placement of themessage.

FIGS. 10A and 10B set forth the steps of synchronizing the messagesbetween the host system 10 and the mobile device 24. Step 220 of FIG. 10checks to see if there is a match between the message IDs of the currentmessage ‘A’ and the first message ‘B’. If the IDs do not match, step 222updates message ‘B’ to the next message in the list of ‘B’ messages.Once a matching message is found, step 224 checks if the move flag formessage ‘A’ is on and the move flag for message ‘B’ is off. If this isthe case, message ‘B’ is moved to the folder having the folder ID ofmessage ‘A’ on the mobile device 24 in step 226. If the move flag statusis not equal to the check in step 224, step 230 checks for a differentflag status.

Step 230 checks if the move flag for message ‘B’ is on and the move flagfor message ‘A’ is off. If this is the case, message ‘A’ is moved to thefolder having the folder ID of message ‘B’ on the host system in step232. If the move flag status is not equal to the check in step 230, step234 checks for move flags in both message ‘A’ and message ‘B’ to be on.If both flags are on, step 238 decides which message to move based on aconflict resolution structure. The conflict resolution structure is apredetermined rule where the software moves one of the messages based onthe folder ID of the other message. If both flags are off, step 240checks to see if the folder IDs of message ‘A’ and message ‘B’ aredifferent. If the folder IDs are different, the conflict resolutionstructure of step 238 decides which message to move. If the folder IDsare the same, messages ‘A’ and ‘B’ remain in their current folders asshown in step 242.

Step 246 checks if message ‘B’ was moved. If message ‘B’ was not moved,the message ‘B’ move flag is reset in step 250. Message ‘A’ is checkedin step 252 to see if it moved. If message ‘A’ did not move, the moveflag for message ‘A’ is reset 254. This is accomplished by updating thefolder ID on message ‘A’ with the folder ID that was found in duringstep 210. The procedure for checking the move status of the messages iscompleted in step 256.

FIG. 11 sets forth the preferable method steps of assigning an ID to anewly received message at the host system for redirection. When a newmessage is received in step 260, the message is tagged with a unique IDin step 262. Once the message has a unique ID, step 264 checks if thefolder in which the message is to be stored has an assigned folder ID.If the folder has an ID, the folder ID of the message structure 120 forthe new message is set to the folder ID value in step 266. If the folderdoes not have an ID, the folder ID of the message structure 120 for thenew message is set to zero as shown in step 268. After the folder ID hasbeen set in step 266 or 268, the message is sent to the device by theredirector in step 270.

The user has the option to move a message between folders on either themobile device 24 or the host system 10. For example, a user who has a“to do” folder on both the host system 10 and the mobile device 24,might receive a message on the mobile device 24 when he is away from hishost system 10. The redirector program might be instructed to placeincoming messages into an Inbox folder on the device. After reviewingthe message, the user decides to file the message into the “to do”folder on the mobile device 24. The software system for organizingmessages and folders on the mobile device 24 sends a move signal to thehost system 10 to move the same message to the “to do” folder on thehost L system. Later, the user decides to move the message again to a“completed tasks” folder which also resides on both the mobile device 24and the host system 10, but this time the user initiates the move at thehost system 10. The host system 10 sends a move signal to the mobiledevice 24 to initiate the same move on the mobile device 24. This methodand system of moving messages between folders on the host system 10 andthe mobile device 24 employs the “push” paradigm of the redirectorsoftware. The method steps for moving the message between folders areshown in FIG. 12 and the method steps of FIGS. 13-17 show the stepstaken at the host system 10 and the mobile device 24 when the user hasinitiated a move on at either the host system or mobile device.

As shown in FIG. 12, to file a message on the mobile device 24, themessage is selected in step 280. A folder to place the message isselected in step 282. The selected message is moved to the selectedfolder in step 284. The folder ID of the selected folder is assigned tothe folder ID of the message structure 120 for the selected message instep 286 and the move flag status is set in step 288. Finally, themessage has been properly moved and the steps end at step 290.

Once the message has been moved on either the mobile device 24 or thehost system 10, the redirector preferably attempts to move the identicalmessage to the corresponding folder on the other end to provide a truemirrored (i.e., synchronized) organization of information as illustratedin FIGS. 13 and 16. Shown in FIG. 13 are the preferred steps in sendinga move signal from the mobile device 24 to the host system 10 via thewireless network 22 as disclosed herein. The preferred steps arereferred hereinafter to as the “over-the-air-move” process. After themessage has been moved in step 292 of FIG. 13, step 294 sends a commandto move the message x to the folder y and waits for a confirmationsignal in step 296. Step 298 checks if the redirector successfully movedthe message. If the message was moved, the folder ID of message x isupdated in step 300. If the message was not moved, then the redirectorproceeds with its normal operation in step 302, and the message will bemoved during synchronization.

The over-the-air-move process is preferably in the control of the user.In circumstances where the user desires to limit bandwidth consumption,it may be desirable to switch the over-the-air-move feature off and toleave synchronization of information organization until device-hostsynchronization through the wired interface cradle. In anotherembodiment of the present invention, the mobile device 24 bundlestogether and compresses the various move commands (or other operations)created during the day and transmits the same during non-peaktransmission times. These steps are presented in detail in FIGS. 21through 24.

Moving a message on the mobile device 24 requires a move command to besent to the host system 10 as described above. But, moving a message onthe host system requires both checking to see if the message wasredirected to the mobile device 24 and if the folder the message wasmoved to exists on the mobile device 24. These steps are set forth inFIG. 14. Once the redirector has received a move message command fromthe host system 10 that a message has been moved in step 304, theredirector checks to see if the message has been redirected to thedevice in step 306. If the message was not redirected to the mobiledevice 24, the redirector does not attempt to send the move command andproceeds with its normal operation at step 308. If the message wasdelivered to the mobile device 24, then step 310 determines if thefolder that the message was moved to has a folder ID. The folder may nothave an ID if, for example, the user created the folder at some pointafter the last synchronization. If the folder does not have a folder ID,the redirector does not forward the move message command and theredirector proceeds with its normal operation at step 314. The move willbe made when the mobile device 24 and the host system 10 aresynchronized and the folder with the correct folder structure 130 isgenerated.

If the folder ID does exist for the folder, then the move messagecommand is sent in step 316. The redirector awaits acknowledgement ofthe move in step 318. If the acknowledgement is not received, theredirector proceeds with its normal operation at step 320, oralternatively, attempts to retransmit the move message command. Ifacknowledgement of the move is received, step 322 tags the message withthe current folder ID.

FIG. 15 shows the steps performed at the mobile device 24 when a movemessage command is received from the host system 10. Similarly, FIG. 16shows the steps performed at the host system 10 when a move command isreceived from the mobile device 24. Both functions require (1) receivinga move command, (2) checking to see if the command may be executed, and(3) reacting with a negative confirmation or moving the message andpositively confirming.

Step 330 of FIG. 15 occurs when the mobile device 24 receives a movecommand. Step 332 checks if the folder exists on the mobile device 24.If the folder does not exist, a negative confirmation is sent to thehost system 10 in step P 334. Otherwise, the mobile device 24 is tagged336 with the new folder ID, the message's folder ID is updated in step338, and a positive confirmation is sent to the host system 10 in step340.

FIG. 16 shows the steps of acting upon a move message command at thehost system 10. The move command is received 350. Step 352 locates themessage in the store. Step 354 determines if the folder is located inthe store. If the folder is not located in the store, a negativeconfirmation is sent to the mobile device 24 in step 356. If the folderis located in the store, the message is moved 360 to the folder. Step362 determines if the move was successful. A successful move updates themessage's folder ID in step 364 while an unsuccessful move sends anegative confirmation 370 to the mobile device 24.

Special folders can require a special set of instructions to deal withmessage management. For example, a deleted folder can be created todetect deletions at either the mobile device 24 or the host system 24.When the message is deleted, the redirector must check to see if theuser has previously chosen to delete messages off of both the mobiledevice 24 and the host system 10 when it is deleted on one of these two.

The steps set forth in FIG. 17 show how the device accordingly handles adelete request. The delete process is started 380 when the user hasselected a message for deleting. The message is selected 382 and thendeleted 384 by the software on the mobile device 24. The software on thedevice then determines 386 if the delete feature is set to deletemessages on both the mobile device 24 and the host system 10. If thedelete feature is not set for the host system and the device, thesoftware simply deletes the message locally 390. If the delete featureis set for the host system and the device, the folder JID of the deletedfolder is assigned to the message in step 392. The move flag for themessage is set on 394 so that the deletion can be detected on the otherdevice. The delete process is completed 396. In the case where the userdeletes a message on the host system, the deletion of that message willbe reflected upon synchronization.

Finally, the folder management system controls wasted use of resourcesby purging the earliest messages once allocated space is exceeded, asshown in FIG. 18. The purge process is started in step 400. The softwaredetermines 402 if storage requirements exceed the storage spaceallocated for messages. If the storage requirements are not exceeded,the purge process is ended 404. If the storage space is exceeded theearliest message is deleted, but the message structure 120 is retainedin step 406.

FIGS. 19 and 20 set forth a method of using folder lists as a triggersource for the redirector program 12. In FIG. 19, the user selects 408 afolder and the folder is stored 410 in the folder list. FIG. 20 showsthe steps set forth for forwarding a message based on the folder list.The message could, for instance be a new piece of mail. The folder listis loaded 412. A new mail notification is received 414. The softwarechecks if the mail is in a folder from the folder list in step 416. Ifthe mail is not in a folder listed in the folder list, the process stops418. If the mail is in a folder listed in the folder list, then theredirector forwards the message to the mobile device 24 in step 420, asdescribed above.

In another aspect of the present invention, wireless mobile datacommunications devices, especially those that can return a confirmationsignal to the host that the pushed data has been received, are utilizedin conjunction with the redirector program. It is also possible for themobile data communications device to include additional information withthe confirmation signal, including, any one or more of the followingactions, the fact that the message: has been read (the informationassociated therewith is a “read signal”); has been filed in a specificfolder (the information associated therewith is a “filed signal”); hasbeen forwarded to another recipient (the information associatedtherewith is a “forward signal”); or, has been replied to (theinformation associated therewith is a “reply signal”). These actions canthen be synchronized with the host system, thus eliminating the need forthe user to perform these actions a second time.

Traditionally, message status icons are associated with messages at thehost system 10. A message status icon is a graphical image indicatingthe state of the message. States may indicate that: a message is new, amessage has been read, a message has been deleted, a message has beenforwarded, a message has been replied to, a message has been filed orany combination thereof. The message status icon is preferably in closephysical proximity, when viewed by the user as a list of messages, tothe corresponding message and other corresponding message details (suchas subject, sender's name, arrival time, etc.) in the graphical userinterface. By way of example, if a user at the host system forwards amessage from the host system to another party, the message status iconwill be altered in appearance to indicate to the user a forwardingaction has been applied to that particular message. In this manner andadvantageously, the user has a quick visual method of reviewing a listof messages in a folder and the states of the messages, thereby knowingthe actions that have already taken place with respect to those messagesat the host system 10.

In accordance with the present invention and preferably, as aconsequence of receiving at the host system 10 at least one of aplurality of action signals from the mobile 24 (i.e., a read signal, afiled signal, a forward signal or a reply signal), a graphical changewill occur at the host system 10 to a message status icon, which isassociated with the message acted upon at the mobile, to indicate to theuser upon his return and access to the host system that the message hasbeen acted upon (i.e., read, replied to, forwarded and/or filed, etc.)at the mobile. The graphical change will result in a second messagestatus icon distinguishable from the first message status icon and,preferably, the graphical representation of the second message statusicon clearly illustrates the state of the message. In one embodiment ofthe present invention and preferably, as a consequence of receiving afiled signal, the host system application associated with the messagewill move the message to the appropriate folder so that the user uponhis return and access of the host system will see information organizedin the same manner as in the mobile device. In the case of a filedmessage that is also read at the mobile, the corresponding message, atthe host system, is moved and the message status icon associatedtherewith at the host system is altered to indicate the read status.Likewise, in the case where a message is read and forwarded to anotherparty at the mobile, a single second message status icon will preferablyrepresent both statuses (i.e., read and forwarded). Preferably, anysecond message status icon graphical representation resulting from anaction event taking place at the mobile is the same graphicalrepresentation that would occur if the action event had been undertakenat the host system 10 rather than the mobile 24. Alternatively and atthe user's control preferably, any graphical representation is clearlydistinguishable as to be the status change resulting from an actiontaking place at the mobile versus an action taking place at the hostsystem. In the latter embodiment, the user of the redirector systemherein will have quick and reliable information as to where the messagewas read, filed, forwarded, or replied from. Preferably and where aread-receipt is requested by a sender of the message, upon receiving theread signal from the mobile, the redirector or any associated messageapplication such MS Exchange™ or Lotus Notes™ will direct a read-receiptsignal to the read-receipt requester.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the invention allows for anotification of the state of a redirected message at the mobile. It isto be understood that the status signals may be forwarded to the hostsystem during other times as well, such as during synchronization orreal-time over-the-air-moves as described below.

In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided amethod of indicating at the host system the state of the message at themobile communications device. The steps of this method preferablyinclude: (A) altering the state of a first message at the mobilecommunications device thereby creating an altered state; (B) forwardinga status signal to the host system; and, (C) changing at the host systema first message status icon based on the altered state at the mobilecommunications device. Therefore, according to one aspect of theinvention, the message status icon change indicates an altered state ofthe message at the mobile communication device.

In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided amethod of indicating at the host system the state of the message at themobile communications device. The steps of this method preferablyinclude: (A) redirecting a first message from the host system to themobile communications device, wherein the first message at the hostsystem has a first message status icon; (B) receiving the redirectedfirst message from the host system at the mobile communications device;(C) altering the state of the first message at the mobile communicationsdevice thereby creating an altered state; (D) forwarding a status signalto the host system; and, (E) changing at the host system the firstmessage status icon based on the action taken at the mobilecommunications device.

In one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method ofindicating at a first device such as a sender's host system or mobiledevice, via the host system the state of the message at the mobilecommunications device. The steps of this method preferably include: (A)redirecting a first message from the host system to the mobilecommunications device, wherein the first message at the host system hasa first message status icon; (B) receiving the redirected first messagefrom the host system at the mobile communications device; (C) alteringthe state of the first message at the mobile communications devicethereby creating an altered state; (D) forwarding a status signal to thehost system; and, (E) changing at the host system the first messagestatus icon based on the action taken at the mobile communicationsdevice; and (F) forwarding a read-receipt to a read-receipt requester'sdevice.

FIG. 21 is a block diagram of yet another mobile communication device 24in which the instant invention may be implemented. The mobilecommunication device 24 is preferably a two-way communication devicehaving at least voice and data communication capabilities. The devicepreferably has the capability to communicate with other computer systemson the Internet. Depending on the functionality provided by the device,the device may be referred to as a data messaging device, a two-waypager, a cellular telephone with data messaging capabilities, a wirelessInternet appliance or a data communication device (with or withouttelephony capabilities).

Where the device 24 is enabled for two-way communications, the devicewill incorporate a communication subsystem 1911, including a receiver1912, a transmitter 1914, and associated components such as one or more,preferably embedded or internal, antenna elements 1916 and 1918, localoscillators (LOs) 1913, and a processing module such as a digital signalprocessor (DSP) 1920. As will be apparent to those skilled in the fieldof communications, the particular design of the communication subsystem1911 will be dependent upon the communication network in which thedevice is intended to operate. For example, a device 24 destined for aNorth American market may include a communication subsystem 1911designed to operate within the Mobitex™ mobile communication system orDataTAC™ mobile communication system, whereas a device 24 intended foruse in Europe may incorporate a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)communication subsystem 1911.

Network access requirements will also vary depending upon the type ofnetwork 1919. For example, in the Mobitex and DataTAC networks, mobiledevices such as 24 are registered on the network using a unique personalidentification number or PIN associated with each device. In GPRSnetworks however, network access is associated with a subscriber or userof a device 24. A GPRS device therefore requires a subscriber identitymodule (not shown), commonly referred to as a SIM card, in order tooperate on a GPRS network. Without a SIM card, a GPRS device will not befully functional. Local or non-network communication functions (if any)may be operable, but the device 24 will be unable to carry out anyfunctions involving communications over network 1919. When requirednetwork registration or activation procedures have been completed, adevice 24 may send and receive communication signals over the network1919. Signals received by the antenna 1916 through a communicationnetwork 1919 are input to the receiver 1912, which may perform suchcommon receiver functions as signal amplification, frequency downconversion, filtering, channel selection and the like, and in theexample system shown in FIG. 19, analog to digital conversion. Analog todigital conversion of a received signal allows more complexcommunication functions such as demodulation and decoding to beperformed in the DSP 1920. In a similar manner, signals to betransmitted are processed, including modulation and encoding forexample, by the DSP 1920 and input to the transmitter 1914 for digitalto analog conversion, frequency up conversion, filtering, amplificationand transmission over the communication network 1919 via the antenna1918.

The DSP 1920 not only processes communication signals, but also providesfor receiver and transmitter control. For example, the gains applied tocommunication signals in the receiver 1912 and transmitter 1914 may beadaptively controlled through automatic gain control algorithmsimplemented in the DSP 1920.

The device 24 preferably includes a microprocessor 1938 which controlsthe overall operation of the device. Communication functions, includingat least data and voice communications, are performed through thecommunication subsystem 1911. The microprocessor 1938 also interactswith further device subsystems such as the display 1922, flash memory1924, random access memory (RAM) 1926, auxiliary input/output (I/O)subsystems 1928, serial port 1930, keyboard 1932, speaker 1934,microphone 1936, a short-range communications subsystem 1940 and anyother device subsystems generally designated as 1942.

Some of the subsystems shown in FIG. 21 perform communication-relatedfunctions, whereas other subsystems may provide “resident” or on-devicefunctions. Notably, some subsystems, such as keyboard 1932 and display1922 for example, may be used for both communication-related functions,such as entering a text message for transmission over a communicationnetwork, and device-resident functions such as a calculator or tasklist.

Operating system software used by the microprocessor 1938 is preferablystored in a persistent store such as flash memory 1924, which mayinstead be a read only memory (ROM) or similar storage element (notshown). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the operatingsystem, specific device applications, or parts thereof, may betemporarily loaded into a volatile store such as RAM 1926. It iscontemplated that received communication signals may also be stored toRAM 1926.

The microprocessor 1938, in addition to its operating system functions,preferably enables execution of software applications on the device. Apredetermined set of applications which control basic device operations,including at least data and voice communication applications forexample, will normally be installed on the device 24 during manufacture.A preferred application that may be loaded onto the device may be apersonal information manager (PIM) application having the ability toorganize and manage data items relating to the device user such as, butnot limited to e-mail, calendar events, voice mails, appointments, andtask items. Naturally, one or more memory stores would be available onthe device to facilitate storage of PIM data items on the device. SuchPIM application would preferably have the ability to send and receivedata items, via the wireless network. In a preferred embodiment, the PIMdata items are seamlessly integrated, synchronized and updated, via thewireless network, with the device user's corresponding data items storedor associated with a host computer system. Further applications may alsobe loaded onto the device 24 through the network 1919, an auxiliary I/Osubsystem 1928, serial port 1930, short-range communications subsystem1940 or any other suitable subsystem 1942, and installed by a user inthe RAM 1926 or preferably a non-volatile store (not shown) forexecution by the microprocessor 1938. Such flexibility in applicationinstallation increases the functionality of the device and may provideenhanced on-device functions, communication-related functions, or both.For example, secure communication applications may enable electroniccommerce functions and other such financial transactions to be performedusing the device 24.

In a data communication mode, a received signal such as a text messageor web page download will be processed by the communication subsystem1911 and input to the microprocessor 1938, which will preferably furtherprocess the received signal for output to the display 1922, oralternatively to an auxiliary I/O device 1928. A user of device 24 mayalso compose data items such as email messages for example, using thekeyboard 1932, which is preferably a complete alphanumeric keyboard ortelephone-type keypad, in conjunction with the display 1922 and possiblyan auxiliary I/O device 1928. Such composed items may then betransmitted over a communication network through the communicationsubsystem 1911.

For voice communications, overall operation of the device 24 issubstantially similar, except that received signals would preferably beoutput to a speaker 1934 and signals for transmission would be generatedby a microphone 1936. Alternative voice or audio I/O subsystems such asa voice message recording subsystem may also be implemented on thedevice 24. Although voice or audio signal output is preferablyaccomplished primarily through the speaker 1934, the display 1922 mayalso be used to provide an indication of the identity of a callingparty, the duration of a voice call, or other voice call relatedinformation for example.

The serial port 1930 in FIG. 21 would normally be implemented in apersonal digital assistant (PDA)-type communication device for whichsynchronization with a user's desktop computer (not shown) may bedesirable, but is an optional device component. Such a port 1930 wouldenable a user to set preferences through an external device or softwareapplication and would extend the capabilities of the device by providingfor information or software downloads to the device 24 other thanthrough a wireless communication network. The alternate download pathmay for example be used to load an encryption key onto the devicethrough a direct and thus reliable and trusted connection to therebyenable secure device communication.

A short-range communications subsystem 1940 is a further optionalcomponent which may provide for communication between the device 1924and different systems or devices, which need not necessarily be similardevices. For example, the subsystem 1940 may include an infrared deviceand associated circuits and components or a Bluetooth™ communicationmodule to provide for communication with similarly-enabled systems anddevices.

Turning now to FIGS. 22 through 24 there is a detailed description andpresentation for an advanced method for dealing with the extra trafficgenerated from supportly automatic over-the-air synchronization of dataitems and folder moves. Even though the method of automaticover-the-air-synchronization presented in different parts of thisdescription is preferable, it does have some drawbacks. Specificallythese drawbacks occur when a mobile device can potentially transmitfrequently many data and command packets over the wireless network.Further drawbacks include (1) low bandwidth on the particular wirelessnetwork that the mobile device works with is not very robust to handlean overwhelming amount of data transfers, (2) higher costs for theservice provider, user or both are generally associated with suchfrequent data exchanges, (3) very high network cost and power sourcedrain on the mobile device for sending small amounts of data and (4)heavier power usage on the mobile device's power source may prematurelydrain the power resources of the mobile device. Therefore, it may bedesirable to (1) switch the over-the-air-synchronization feature off andto leave synchronization of information organization until device-hostsynchronization through a wired interface cradle when the mobile deviceis synchronized via a serial connection to the host system/computer, or(2) leave the option to the user to switch on the feature for a periodof time until switched off by the user or after the expiration ofpredetermined period of time. In another embodiment of the presentinvention, the mobile device 24 bundles together and preferablycompresses the various synchronizations, move commands (or otheroperations) created during the day and transmits the bundled informationas one or more data packet transmissions during non-peak network usageor transmission times, as illustrated in FIGS. 22 through 24.Preferably, the bundling and the optional compression step reduce thenumber and size of data packets to be sent over the wireless network. Atthe host system, the redirector component receives, unbundles andappropriately acts on the information. Naturally, the reverse is alsowithin the scope of the invention, namely the redirector bundlestogether and preferably compresses the various synchronizations, movecommands (or other operations) created during the day and transmits thebundled information as one or more data packet transmissions duringnon-peak network usage or transmission times. Preferably, the bundlingand the optional compression step reduce the number and size of datapackets to be sent over the wireless network. At the mobile device, thedevice receives, unbundles and appropriately acts on the information.

Turning now to FIG. 22 there is an illustration of the key componentswithin the mobile device 24 that are involved with supporting bundlingof multiple data items for transmit. On the mobile device 24 are manyhardware components all working together to perform real-time messagingon behalf of the user. Underlying all these components is a CentralProcessing Unit (CPU) that is permitting the execution of software. Atthe heart of the mobile device in question is messaging software runningwithin the RAM and/or flash memory 1924 and 1926 of the mobile device24. The messaging software is primarily handling user actions andincoming events from the transmitter receiver 1911. User actions areinput from the keyboard 1932 and are presented to the user via thedisplay 1922. Although it is common to accept keyed in messages andcommands from the user and immediately sending them to the host, thissystem implements a database 1950 on the mobile to buffer these events.Within the database 1950 there is stored incoming received messages,messages that are pending and messages that have been sent. Pendingmessages could use a wide range of criteria to decide whether they canbe sent. These criteria include but is not limited to: maximum messagesize, maximum time reached, the specific type of message, thedestination address, a content identifier in the subject or body or aset of configuration parameter within the device. Configurationparameters could further include: the time of the day, the day of theweek, the delay that has occurred on previous transmits, the currentbattery level, the current signal strength of the base station, thenumber of messages transmitted in the past ‘N’ minutes or hours andreceived network parameters set by the network operator. These networkparameters received from the base station could include a duty cyclebased on activity level, the number of other mobiles currently using thesame base station, and the purchased support level of network airtime,i.e. gold, silver or bronze level support. Many of these same criteriaare similar to the message server 1960 as introduced in FIG. 23. Oneskilled in the art could probably add their own criteria to extend thislist even further.

When the first data or command event reaches the database a timer 1928is run to ensure that data times are transmitted with some frequency.Although it is possible for data items to be suspected a very long time,i.e. to off-peek hours in the day midnight until 6 am for example, atimer is always needed to kick off the transmit if the user is notperforming additional activities. Where possible different events,including both data events and command events, can be concatenatedtogether in a single transmit off the device. This technique is oftencalled piggy-packing and in communication systems is common when dataand commands are exchanged between common systems. In the context ofthis patent the term command is meant to refer to data items notdirectly input by the user. These could include folder move operations,message read indications and message delete indications. These commandsare side effects from an action the user has performed where they may,or may not, have known that a transmit would be caused from theiraction. Some time before the transmission the information is compressed1952, encrypted 1954 and prepared for transmission across the wirelessnetwork. The step of compressing and encrypting can take place eitherbefore or after the message is stored in the pending database 1950.

One of the final stages before transmitting is the packaging andbundling stage 1956. This stage is important as it allows the receiverto unbundled multiple data items, or data items and command items thatare piggy-backed together. It is likely on the receiving side thatdifferent components process data items and command items.

Turning now to FIG. 23 there is an overview of the host system 10components used to send and receive bundled messages that are exchangedwith mobile devices. Within the host system 10 is a message server 1960.The message server could be a traditional Microsoft™ Exchange Server ora Lotus™ Notes Server or some other database server from Oracle™ orSybase™. The message server 1960 is generally the heart of allinformation exchanged and is the main interface into the data store1962. The data store 1962 is where the information of the entire companyis kept and is organized into folder hierarchies 1964 that divide theinformation for each user and the type of information being saved.Although there could be several message servers each takingresponsibility for different data classifications, the idea of foldersand hierarchies 1964 still applies. Working with the data storagecomponent, within the message server 1960 is a wireless component 1974.The messaging component 1974 acts as the liaison between the messageserver 1960 and the wireless device 24. The wireless component 1960 alsohas been presented as the redirector software 12 within this patent. Thewireless component 1974 uses the mobile table 1966 to indicate whichusers have mobile devices 24. Each user with a mobile device will gettheir information pushed to their mobile device 24 as the data andcommands become available. Based on certain criteria the host willselect its moments to redirect data and commands to the mobile device24, these rules and send/hold decision are made in a subcomponent knownas the wireless delivery component 1968.

Going through the steps in greater detail first we have an event takeplace within the message server 1960. The event could be a new data itemarriving to the data store 1962, or a data item has been modified, i.e.moved between folders within the data store 1962. The change within thedata store 1962 is first detected by the wireless formatting component1964 within the wireless component 1974. The message is normallycompressed, encrypted and given to the wireless delivery component 1968.This component checks the filter rules and the send/receive state andthe delivery rules 1972 to determine when to send data to the mobiledevice 24. If there are already messages pending for the mobile devicethen the message may be placed into the storage area 1970 and a timer isrun to wake-up and send the data. The sending schemes on the host system10 can be as rich as the ones on the mobile device 24. Some of thecriteria that can be used can include but is not limited to: maximummessage size, maximum time reached for data being sent to mobile, thespecific type of message calendar message are highest priority as theyare time sensitive, the destination mobile address, i.e. the president'sinformation is never delayed, a content identifier in the subject orbody or a set of configuration parameter within the delivery rules 1972.Delivery rules could further include: the time of the day, the day ofthe week, the delay that has occurred on previous transmit before aconfirmation was received, the number of messages transmitted in thepast ‘N’ minutes or hours and whether the user is a gold, silver orbronze level user. Configuring a user as a gold user will cost more withthe network operator but will mean that messages don't have to bedelayed going to this user. Another way to view this delivery level isto use a pricing structure that is similar to cell phone models today. Auser of a cell phone can pay several pricing models based on their usageper month. Similar a data centric user might pay different levels basedon how much data is transmitted and when it is transmitted. Anotherpreferred embodiment would be to handle the case where certain e-mailaddresses are held up until low peek hours. Specifically mail sent toALL EMPLOYEES group e-mail address would be good candidates for beingdelayed.

Turning now to FIG. 24, there is provided a method to limit the use ofnetwork airtime and mobile transmitters by either the host system 10 orthe mobile device 24. At step 1980, a data item is received by awireless transport component and may be packaged immediately inpreparation for transmission 1980. This transport component could bemessaging software running in RAM on the mobile device, or the wirelesscomponent 1974 running in the messaging server 1960. This data itemcould be either a data message or a command message being exchangedbetween the host system 10 and the mobile device 24. If the data is tobe packaged 1982 the compression 1994 and encryption 1996 libraries arecalled to perform their transformations. This would probably be a userdecision because the step of pre-compressing and pre-encrypting eachdata item individually will save time later, but will take extraphysical overhead as head item will require a larger message header.Once this is complete, or if there was no immediate packaging of theinformation a further test is performed to see if the data item can betransmitted immediately 1984. The sending logic of the software willhave certain criteria used to decide whether to send immediately, forexample it could be off-peek hours and everything is sent immediately.If this item is to be sent immediately a further check is made to see ifthe item was already compressed and encrypted 1992. If the item is notready for shipment then the compression 1994 and encryption 1996libraries are called. If yes, then the item is provided for finalpackaging 1998 and transmission 2000 to the host or mobile system.

If the host system 10 or mobile device 24 is using a bundling techniquethen the test of 1984 would be not to send immediately. The data wouldtherefore be added to the applicable delay delivery data store 1986 anda test is performed to see if the addition of this new item hasgenerated any new sending criteria 1990. This new item might have reacha total number of character threshold, or it might have provided apiggy-backing possibility for the device or host. If there is no sendingcriteria met a timer is started and the software goes into a wait cycle1988 in preparation for another data event or for the timer to expire.After a period of time has lapsed (step 1988), another check isperformed to determine whether it is now appropriate to transmit thedata item(s). If so, then a test is performed to see if the data itemswere already compressed and encrypted and if they have not been preparedall the data items are collected and provided to the compression 1994and encryption 1996 libraries. Once complete the data item is providedfor final packaging 1998 and transmission 2000. When possible,performing a bulk compression and encryption is the most efficient andis the preferred embodiment for the system. If the information isalready compressed and encrypted the information it is provided forfinal packaging 1998 and transmission 2000. Advantageously, this store,delay and transmit method reduces network bandwidth demand for the hostsystem 10 and the mobile device 24, and has the added benefit ofreducing the power requirements for the mobile device. By conserving thepower store of the mobile device the user will benefit from longer usageand reduced cost. The determination of whether to transmit or bundle canbe handled very dynamically to provide the user with maximum benefit.For example, the device may do the automatic over-the-network automatictransmission of emails and calendar events from the device, but delaythe transmission of folder moves until non-peak times or alternatively,delay communication of such changes until a physical synchronizationoccurs.

Having described in detail the preferred embodiments of the presentinvention, including the preferred methods of operation, it is to beunderstood that this operation could be carried out with differentelements and steps. This preferred embodiment is presented only by wayof example and is not meant to limit the scope of the present inventionwhich is defined by the following claims.

1. A method of redirecting data items from a messaging server to auser's mobile communication device via a wireless network, the methodcomprising: receiving, at a redirector component disposed in an intranetand coupled to the messaging server, a plurality of commands from themobile communication device via the wireless network; responsive to afirst command of the plurality of commands, enabling a preferred listmode and adding at least one sender to a preferred list of senders;responsive to a second command of the plurality of commands, setting aredirection flag configured for the user to enable redirection of dataitems to the user's mobile communication device from the messagingserver until the redirection flag is reset to indicate cessation ofredirection of the data items; detecting arrival of at least one dataitem received at the messaging server and determining that the at leastone data item is from a particular sender of the preferred list ofsenders, the at least one data item being addressed to the user's mailaddress associated with the messaging server and operable to be storedthereat; responsive to the determination, causing to bundle at least aportion of the at least one data item for transmission to the user'smobile communication device via the wireless network; and moving the atleast one data item into a particular folder responsive to a commandfrom the mobile communication device.
 2. The method as recited in claim1, further comprising delaying transmission of the at least one dataitem to the mobile communication device.
 3. The method as recited inclaim 2, further comprising storing the at least one data item that hasbeen delayed.
 4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprisingencrypting the at least a portion of the at least one data item prior totransmission via the wireless network.
 5. The method as recited in claim1, further comprising compressing the at least a portion of the at leastone data item prior to transmission via the wireless network.
 6. Asystem for redirecting data items from a messaging server to a user'smobile communication device via a wireless network, the systemcomprising: means for processing a plurality of commands received, at aredirector component disposed in an intranet and coupled to themessaging server, from the mobile communication device via the wirelessnetwork; means, responsive to a first command of the plurality ofcommands, for enabling a preferred list mode and adding at least onesender to a preferred list of senders; means, responsive to a secondcommand of the plurality of commands, for setting a redirection flagconfigured for the user to enable redirection of data items to theuser's mobile communication device from the messaging server until theredirection flag is reset to indicate cessation of redirection of thedata items; means for detecting arrival of at least one data itemreceived at the messaging server and for determining that the at leastone data item is from a particular sender of the preferred list ofsenders, the at least one data item being addressed to the user's mailaddress associated with the messaging server and operable to be storedthereat; means, responsive to the determination, for causing to bundleat least a portion of the at least one data item for transmission to theuser's mobile communication device via the wireless network; and means,responsive to a command from the mobile communication device, for movingthe at least one data item into a particular folder.
 7. The system asrecited in claim 6, further comprising means for causing to delaytransmission of the at least one data item to the mobile communicationdevice.
 8. The system as recited in claim 7, further comprising meansfor storing the at least one data item that has been delayed.
 9. Thesystem as recited in claim 6, further comprising means for encryptingthe at least a portion of the at least one data item prior totransmission via the wireless network.
 10. The system as recited inclaim 6, further comprising means for compressing the at least a portionof the at least one data item prior to transmission via the wirelessnetwork.
 11. The system as recited in claim 6, further comprising meansfor applying a criterion relating to how long a plurality of bundleddata items are to be delayed before transmission to the user's mobilecommunication device.
 12. A non-transitory computer-accessible mediumhaving instructions which when executed by a processing entity of acomputer operate to redirect data items from a messaging server to auser's mobile communication device via a wireless network, comprising: acode portion for processing a plurality of commands received, at aredirector component disposed in an intranet and coupled to themessaging server, from the mobile communication device via the wirelessnetwork; a code portion, operable responsive to a first command of theplurality of commands, for enabling a preferred list mode and for addingat least one sender to a preferred list of senders; a code portion,operable responsive to a second command of the plurality of commands,for configuring a redirection flag configured for the user to enableredirection of data items to the user's mobile communication device fromthe messaging server until the redirection flag is reset to indicatecessation of redirection of the data items; a code portion for detectingarrival of at least one data item received at the messaging server andfor determining that the at least one data item is from a particularsender of the preferred list of senders, the at least one data itembeing addressed to the user's mail address associated with the messagingserver and operable to be stored thereat; a code portion, operableresponsive to the determination, for causing to bundle at least aportion of the at least one data item for transmission to the user'smobile communication device via the wireless network; and a codeportion, operable responsive to a command from the mobile communicationdevice, for moving the at least one data item into a particular folder.13. The non-transitory computer-accessible medium as recited in claim12, further comprising a code portion for causing to delay transmissionof the at least one data item to the mobile communication device. 14.The non-transitory computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 13,further comprising a code portion for storing the at least one data itemthat has been delayed.
 15. The non-transitory computer-accessible mediumas recited in claim 12, further comprising a code portion for encryptingthe at least a portion of the at least one data item prior to thetransmission via the wireless network.
 16. The non-transitorycomputer-accessible medium as recited in claim 12, further comprising acode portion for compressing the at least a portion of the at least onedata item prior to the transmission via the wireless network.